Gas turbine condensers



July 14, 1959 D. K. WARNER @As TURBINE coNDENsERs Filed July 25. 1952 United States Patent O 2,894,729 GAS TURBINE CONDENSERS Douglas K. Warner, Sarasota, Fla. Application July 23, )1952, Serial No. 300,533 3 Claims. (Cl. 257--24) My invention relates lto condensers handling large volumes of gases in addition to steam, and is of particular use in gas turbine power plants of submarines for treating turbine exhaust gases. Submerged operation using liquid oxygen permits generation of enormous power in small, steam-cooled gas turbines and no nitrogen bubbles leave a surface trail and my condenserserves to quickly dissolve and absorb the CO2 (in the exhaust) at low pressure in the sea.

In the drawings Fig. l shows a cross section of my condenser -taken parallel with the tubes therein. Fig. 2 is a section across said tubes and condenser.

The condenser is operated in a horizontal position and is comprised of an inner shell 32 and outer shell 32A. Water enters the outwardly flared ends 29 of tubes 28 which pass straight through the inner shell 32 and leaves the contracted ends 2 beyond the `condenser at 30 at extreme velocity. A narrow opening surrounds each tube end 2 and communicates with the space between shells 32 and 32A. The high velocity of the leaving water entrains gases from such space. The water is then slowed up in diiusers 3 converting most of the water velocity energy into pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure and so compressing the ygases as to make them readily absorbed in the water or left in such ne bubbles as to be indiscernible.

Steam and non-condensible gases in pipe 51 enter the outer shell 32A in a compartment adjacent tube ends 29 and move thence through holes 33 in the inner shell 32. The gases thus enter the space 31 in shell 32 and race over the outside of tubes 28 where most of the steam is condensed to fall as water in the bottom of shell 32. The remaining steam and gas pass through holes 37 in shell 32 near the ends 2 of condenser tubes and thence move forwardly over tubes 39 which contain smaller interior tubing 42. Liquid oxygen tlows through tube 42 and cold oxygen gas flows back over it in tubing 39, the latter gas being maintained cold by evaporation of liquid oxygen in tubing 42.

The cold gas within tube 39 condenses more steam at lower partial pressure of about lo pound per square inch pressure. This new condensate is drawn oft through trap 35 and common return pipe 46 below condenser shell 32A. Trap 35 compensates for the slightly higher pressure in the inner shell 32. The remaining steam and CO2 now cold and in small volume are now entrained in the water jet ejectors at 2 and are compressed in the diuser.

Turbine exhaust steam and gas enter the condenser through pipe 51 and through the openings 33 in both condenser shells to the inner space 31 surrounding the straight water tubes 28. Thick, drilled end plates 27 close each end of the condenser. Condensed steam dropping as water to the bottom of space 31 runs out through pipe 34. CO2 and other gases as well as steam at low partial pressure move out to space 36 between inner shell 32 and outer shell 32a. In this space 36 is a partition 38 which forces the gases to move toward the end of the condenser where steam and water enter and then move back and through the holes 57 to space 58 whence they move through the slots 59 to the fast moving condenser water leaving the contracted tube ends 30. Diusers 60 with outwardly, rearwardly tapering walls surround the tube ends 30 and surrounding slots 59 whereby the water passes V2,894,729. Patented July 14, 1959 ice the slots 59 at extreme velocity and correspondingly high vacuum and 1immediately slows down in said diiusers 60 rapidly increasing pressures and absorbing the CO2 in the water.

The reezing temperatures in the outer shell of the condenser cause more steam to condense and this water is drawn olf in pipe 45 which after passing through its trap joins the large volume ot condensate from pipe 34 to be used again in cooling the -gas turbines. Like the central portion of the condenser the space between the shells is closed at each end except for the holes 57 where the gases move out to the slots 59.

The lowest portion of inner shell 32 has not the openings 37 found elsewhere near the outlet end of the condenser since it `is best not to let the warmer condensate collected there to be cooled by the low temperature coils in the outer shell. This IWarmer condensate is therefore drawn oil at a higher vapor pressure than found in the outer space and so requires a trap on each condensate outlet before they are joined together.

I claim:

1. A condenser comprising: inner and outer shells forming a closed space therebetween; an end plate within and at each end of said inner shell; straight tubes supported by said plates in spaced parallel relation to each other and to said inner shell; an annular space being lthus formed between said inner shell, end plates, and tubes; said tubes having a flared entrance portion beyond the end plate at the inlet end of said tubes and an inwardly contracted ex'it portion beyond the end plate at the outlet end of the tubes; narrow openings surrounding the contracted ends of the tubes, said openings communicating with the space between said shells; dilusers extending outwardly from said narrow openings and communicating with contracted ends of the tubes; a steam and gas entrance at one end of said outer shell and apertures in said inner shell communicating with such inlet sealed from the space between the shells; exhaust openings at the other end of said inner shell exhausting gases from the annular space in the inner shell to the space between shells; a drain pipe; a trap beneath said outer shell communicating with said pipe and with the interior of the outer shell; and another trap beneath said outer shell and communicating with said drain pipe and the interior of the inner shell.

2. In the condenser of claim 1 a cooling tube within said space between shells and a cooling medium at about the freezing temperature of Water circulated through said cooling tube.

3. In the condenser of claim 1 cooling tubes within the space between said shells, one within the other, and liquid oxygen under high pressure passed through the inner tube and gaseous oxygen from the evaporation of said liquid oxygen circulated back between said tubes whereby said outer tube is maintained at about 32 F. by exchange of heat to the liquid oxygen evaporating in said inner tube thereby avoiding ice formation on said outer tube.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 868,372 Tate Oct. 15, 1907 891,901 Blieden et al June 30, 1908 926,157 Weiss .Tune 29, 1909 1,784,222 Crickmer Dec. 9, 1930 1,886,590 Rosenblad Nov. 8, 1932 1,991,717 Wondra Feb. 19, 1935 2,320,391 Wakefield June 1, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 303,226 Germany July 2, 1920 433,456 Germany Aug. 31,1926 666,680 Germany Oct. 26, 1938 902,328 France Dec. 4, 1944 943,755 France Oct. 11, 1948 

